A project to create a landmark community memorial in a County Durham village from a much-loved fallen beech tree has won the backing of a renewable energy firm.
The 100-year-old tree, which stood in the grounds of the Hurworth Grange Community Centre in Hurworth-upon-Tees, had to be felled last year after becoming dangerous, but was cut down in a way that would allow for a memorial to the tree to be created from the remaining 20-foot-high trunk.
Hurworth Parish Council set up a community project to look at the best way to commemorate the trees, with local people of all ages being invited to take part and put their ideas forward for what might be created.
A wood carving group was then formed in the village, with people of all ages meeting regularly to hone their ideas for the tree and learn about the techniques required for the job under the expert eye of experienced tutor Jill Brewster.
Alongside a core group of Hurworth residents, the group also includes participants from Hurworth Primary School, Hurworth Scouts, Hurworth House School and the Linden Court retirement complex.
A £3,080 grant from the community fund linked to OnPath Energy’s nearby Moor House Wind Farm is being used to cover the project’s costs, including materials, room hire and tuition fees.
The group is working towards a tree carving day in October, with the designs that will be used now finalised and agreed.
And with the enthusiasm that it has generated across the community, the wood carving group is now expected to continue after the completion of the memorial project.
Dating back to 1875, Hurworth Grange is a popular community centre that provides a home for a wide range of village events and activities, as well as being the location for Hurworth’s popular annual country fair.
Peter Allan, Clerk at Hurworth Parish Council, who has been leading the project alongside Cllr Janine Foster, says: “The beech tree was a hugely cherished part of the village environment, and its loss caused a great deal of upset in the village, but with the dangerous condition in which it had got, we were left with no choice but to take it down.
“We wanted to do something to commemorate what the tree had been and had meant to the village, and started looking at ways we could use what remained of it for this purpose.
“The idea has really taken off from there and there’s a huge amount of enthusiasm and excitement right across our community about what’s going to be created here, especially as everyone involved is going to be able to say they had a hand in creating something that we hope will last for many decades.
“The group’s members are really enjoying learning the skills that will help them create the memorial and it’s also helping to create new connections within our community right across the generations.
“It would have been really difficult for us to make this project happen without the support we’ve had from the Moor House Wind Farm Community Fund and we’re hugely grateful to OnPath Energy for helping us create a lasting memorial to our much-loved tree.”
Helen Cutting, partnerships and community manager at OnPath Energy (formerly Banks Renewables), adds: “This is a fantastic project that’s really bringing the Hurworth community together to create something that everyone will be able to enjoy for many years to come, and we’re excited to see how the wood carving group’s members use the skills they’ve been learning.”
Environmental and community projects in the vicinity of the Moor House Wind Farm which are interested in applying to its Community Fund should first contact the fund manager via apply@onpathcommunityfund.co.uk or on 0191 378 6342 to confirm that their group or project is eligible.